Top 5 things to do before your student graduates

May 14, 2014

The end of senior year can be a hectic time for parents of students who plan to go to college in the fall. With lots of decisions and arrangements to be made, here are five things to check off the list before your student graduates from high school to ensure a stress-free summer.

At NNU, this deposit is directly applied to your child's tuition and is not an additional charge. The information to pay the deposit is included in the student's financial aid package, including a user name and password for logging into the Portal, our student services platform.

2) Confirm your son or daughter’s spot at their new university's pre-registration event.Many schools feature events that help students get set for classes so they can hit the ground running in the fall. Does your student want to switch out that calculus class for Spanish? Meet with an academic advisor. Have a question about room assignments? Talk with someone from Residential Life. Need to settle up your student account? Sit down with one of our Financial Aid and/or Business Office representatives. It's an excellent way to get answers to your questions in one fell swoop.

NNU hosts an event called Jumpstart designed to help incoming students have a one-stop shop to finalize all the details before they arrive on campus. Two of these events are hosted in Nampa, with offsite events taking place in Portland and Seattle. Let us know you're coming and we'll have all your information with us ready to go!

3) Plan a family trip!
Whether your student is staying local or moving away for their college education, it's important to remember that this will be their last summer before embarking on an entirely new personal journey. Planning a trip—be it for a weekend or a month—is a great way to take some time to connect with your child in a unique way.

4) Explore your student's future room and board arrangements.
In the bustle of figuring out the academic and financial pieces of college preparation, it can be easy to forget that room and board assignments are another important part that it's best to attend to early. Scrambling in August when you find out your child can't bring their cat to the residence hall isn't worth the hassle!

Save time by exploring your future hall's information and seeing what you will need to bring to campus during New Student Orientation to ensure that you aren't stressed at the end of the summer. Check out our residential life pages to see more information.

5) Start pricing that big-screen TV or sewing machine or office furniture.
Remember all that space you had 18 years ago before that little bundle of joy came into your life? Chances are you'll be wanting to put that newly-vacant space to good use. Take some time to start dreaming about how comfy that new recliner will be.

Check out NNU’s parent resources through our Office of Alumni Relations. A birthday cake or survival kit is a good way to soften the blow when junior comes home to a redecorated bedroom.